This invention relates generally to a shear discharge conveying system and more specifically to a scrap scroller for compacting scrap material cut from a shear.
Conventional shear discharge conveying systems typically dispose of scrap material cut from the shear by moving the scrap away from the shear on flighted conveyors and directing the scrap downwardly toward the floor by opening a scrap door at the end of the conveyors. An example of this type of system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,611. Several problems exist with the prior art systems for moving scrap away from the shear. As the scrap is cut, it tends to drop on the conveyors with the first cut end often curved away so that it is supported at a poor angle on the conveyors. The end tends to work its way under the flights causing blockages of the conveyors and often resulting in a broken conveying chain. The bent end also often gets caught under a support arm which is utilized to support the material as it is being gauged. The scrap can often become distorted so that it slips on the conveyor and is not conveyed to the end of the conveyor. It is not uncommon for the distorted scrap material to pass over the scrap gate especially when the scrap is improperly oriented on the conveyor. Scrap handled in the conventional manner may be bulky and difficult to move.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved scrap-handling system for a shear discharge conveying system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved scrap-handling system which reduces or eliminates the above-described problems.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a scrap-handling system for a conveyor which eliminates improper orientation of the scrap on the conveyor, prevents scrap from slipping on the conveyor, and prevents scrap from working its way under the conveyor belt or chain.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved scrap-handling system for a shear conveyor which eliminates the need for a scrap gate and reduces the incidences of scrap exiting the conveyor other than at the scrap bin area.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a scrap-conveying system for a shear which provides an improved, compact scrap configuration to reduce the storage area required. It is also an object to provide such a system which utilizes a minimum amount of space adjacent the shear.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scrap scrolling device for removing scrap directly from the rear of a shear.
In accordance with the above objects, a movable scrap-gripping and conveying mechanism is provided adjacent the back side of a shear to move strips of scrap material parallel to the shear blade and generally transverse to the conveying direction.
The strip of scrap is guided into a pinch roll supported on the side frame of the conveyor. The pinch roll moves the strip into a slotted scroll spindle which is rotated to wrap the scrap into a compact, cylindrical package. Once the entire piece of scrap is rolled on the spindle, a hydraulic cylinder retracts the spindle so that the piece of scrap slides off the scroll into a storage area. The scrap scroller removes scrap directly from the shear and reduces it in size to eliminate handling problems such as scrap slipping on the conveyor or getting under the conveyor belts or chains. There is no need for a scrap gate located at the end of the conveyor, and by removing the scrap before contacting the conveyor, conveyor downtime resulting from scrap-related problems are reduced or eliminated. By rolling the scrap at the side frame of the shear, very little space is required for the scrap-handling system including the scrap storage bin.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description which follows and from the drawings.